Why doesn’t
Kyle Katarn have his own action figure?Featured in three major Star Wars games – the latest Jedi
Knight II: Jedi Outcast – the lack of action figure is unbelievable
considering that the requirements to become a Star Wars action figure
are so low.Three seconds
scuttling across the background of a minor scene is all it takes, so why
doesn’t Katarn get the plastic treatment.It’s an outrageous travesty!

On with the
review…

Jedi Knight II:
Jedi Outcast (JKII) once again puts gamers in control of Kyle Katarn who
has forsaken his Jedi destiny and is working freelance as an Alliance
trouble-shooter and spy.We
join him just as he’s sent on a seemingly routine mission after being
notified of a Remnant (i.e. Imperial) message with a reference the
Valley of the Jedi, where the climax of the previous game took place.Of course, as things usually do, everything goes to hell as Kyle
unearths a Remnant plot and the involvement of a renegade Jedi named
Dessan.A turning point
later and Kyle decides he must reclaim his lightsaber from Luke
Skywalker (who has taken it upon himself to train Jedi on a familiar
moon from Episode IV) and relearn his force powers to confront Dessan
and save the galaxy.

Most elements of
the story will be instantly recognizable but some like the Jedi Academy
will be new to those that haven’t read the latest books.Not having indulged in the books to any great extent – I read
Timothy Zahn’s three-book cycle – but I was still able to keep up
with everything.

The missions are
story driven and are very linear for the most part.Strangely enough it’s not until about mission 3 that game play
really starts to pick up.Although
the first two missions are designed very well and offer their own
challenges – you’ll actually have to take a few notes – it’s not
until the 3rd mission that JKII hits it’s stride.The part that did it for me was running down a canyon filled with
Stormtroopers and a few AT-STs while two massive ion cannons fire from
an overhead ridge and X-Wings and Tie-Fighters are swooping over the
canyon.The scene is chaos
but it’s damn fun – especially manning one of the turrets on the
ridge above and wiping out the AT-STs and Stormtroopers.Not everything comes off so well, but the level design and the
mission objectives are very good for the most part. (Another early
highlight is taking control of a “mouse” droid to access a room and
unlock it from the inside.)

Part of the
games challenge is the AI.Enemies
take cover, wait to the side of doors for you to enter a room, or attack
en masse (the main culprit being JKII’s version of Half-Life’s
head-crab) to bring you down.Depending
on the difficulty you pick at the start of the game, you could be in for
a frustrating experience.On
higher levels, Stormtroopers are practically god-like and you’ll
really have to pay attention to what’s happening around you.There are a few places where hearing a door open should put you
on alert as the door is usually behind you – and that door usually
spews three or four enemies, all of them with a clear shot at your back.
(Using Force Speed – slowing everyone else down – comes in very
handy.)

Weapon variety
is as solid as ever, but once you have that cool blade of death you
cringe every time you have to switch to a gun.The familiar weapons return – thermal detonator, Wookie
bowcaster, etc. – but there are a few new ones, including the handy
trip mine.And never
overlook the many Force powers available. (Like the first game, you can
choose the light or dark sides of the Force and increase your
proficiency in selected powers.)In
some areas, they’re the only way to go.(Get ready for some intense Jedi combat – and to master the art
of the Quickload.)

Managing all
this action is easy because the controls are solid (and easy to remap if
you so desire).It’s the
familiar keyboard/mouse combination with the bulk of options on the
keyboard and secondary fire handled by the mouse.The Force powers are handled better than the previous games,
especially Force Jump.Mastering
the lightsaber moves can be tricky but its implementation is also very
familiar (but not as organic as Obi-Wan for Xbox).

Having a
complete understanding of controls is absolutely necessary if you hope
to dominate (or even provide a challenge) during multiplayer.There are a few different modes -- Lightsaber Duel, Capture the
Flag and Capture the Ysalamiri -- and they’re all fun to varying
degrees, but if you’re into single-player exclusively you won’t be
disappointed with the solo campaign. (And watch out for the assured Mods.)

Graphics and
sound are, in a word, wonderful.Raven
has done a fantastic job bringing Star Wars to life, especially with the
small touches like the familiar war room from A New Hope.But they also get the big touches right too – it’s cool to
see a bunch of docked AT-STs awaiting their drivers.The lightning attack – if you go down the dark path – never
gets old.The familiar John
Williams score fits for every occasion and the sound effects are
dead-on.The amalgam of the
two provides an extremely well rounded experience.I was a little disappointed that Raven opted to use in-game
cutscenes and not full-motion video, but it didn’t take long to get
used to.Animation is also
top-notch – Stormtroopers plunge off catwalks, crumple under a direct
shot to the head, and even get knocked down to the ground only to leap
to their feet, blaster still in hand.The voice acting is up to the usual high standards of LucasArts
and strangely enough the most groan-inducing lines aren’t delivered
dripping in melodrama.JKII
also gives Star Wars freaks another word to add to their lexicon and
roster of all-purpose swear words: “Sithspit”.

And besides all
the above, Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast is fun.No matter how many times I died, either by my own misstep or some
surprise awaiting my entry into a room, I kept on playing even when I
was stumped on a puzzle or figuring out how to get out of room alive.There’s much to do and nooks and crannies to explore.It’s got everything that first-person shooter and Star Wars
fans will love.If you’ve
got the chance, go and get it.The
Force is back!